A certain sudden meeting
by NYT2709
Summary: She asked him to go out on Christmas night
1. Chapter 1

"It's cold"

A boy said, breathing out a white sigh and put his both hands in his black jacket.

"Yeah"

A girl answered, calmly, using her right hand to pull her pink scarf closer to her face.

"It's Chrismast after all"

They said, at the same time, just to surprised at each other. That boy smiled at her while that girl giggling a little. It was small, almost could not be heard.

''Don't you think wearing skirt in this weather will catch you a cold?''

He had asked her this question when he first saw her when he got to her school. She had answered that even there were Chrismast, Tokiwadai's rules was still strict. But no matter what they said, there was snow and only those who was mad would come out with no jacket or whatsoever in this weather. So she wore a expensive-looking duffle coat over her uniform. It certainly kept her warmth just by looking.

After that, none of them spoke a word, just continued on walking, side by side. People could see a boy, probably a high school student with black spiky hair and a girl with proper face, having a short hazel hair slowly made their way to a certain place.

THey still kept on walking. There was a silence until the boy said to her. It was like he had waited just to say at the right moment.

"This place... holds memories''

He was Kamijou Touma.

He was Academy City's level 0, a normal highschool student.

However, his right hand was special. It called 'Imagine Breaker', had the ability to negate both power of esper and magic.

I'm not going to fight you

''I know'',

She was Misaka Mikoto.

She had the power to control electricity. They called people like her 'electromaster'.

There are only 7 level 5s in Academy City and she was place the third among of them, nicknamed 'Railgun'.

The girl answered shortly. She let her gaze low like she was finding something missing on the dark asphalt layer under her shoes.

Where they were going was a certain Iron Bridge that spanned over a river.

For what Kamijou had said was true. This place indeed held memories. She didn't get on this iron bridge too often but when she did, Mikoto couldn't help but having that night playing inside her head like a video. She remembered when she was completely lost.

**There is no other way for me. Even if you don't resist. If you are in my way, I will take you down**

Few more step did they take.

**_Even so, I'm not going to_**

"Neh"

**Don't joke with me. If you are going to fight,then put up your dukes**

**If you are not, then get out of my way**

**Don't trample all over my wishes with you half-hearted reasoning**

"Thank you", the girl slowly tilled her head toward him.

**Why?**

**_I told you. I'm not going to fight you_**

_Why? You know how crazy these experiments are, don't you? I'm going to stop it all. Why are you getting in my way?_

"I was not the only one that wrong"

_Right. They are wrong. But there is no reason for someone to get hurt by that_

**So I...**

_**But the way you're handling it won't save you. That's why I'm not moving.**_

"I just was too exhausted to realize it back then"

**What the hell are you saying... I don't deserve those word. Even if there were a world that everyone could live happily... Then, I don't have any place in that world**

_**Do you really think your remaining sister will appreciate that? I know you understand. Your way... won't save anyone**_

**Shut up... There'll be at least some form of peace if I die...There is no other choice for me**

"Being stupid enough to think I could save my sisters by that way"

**If one live can save the lives of ten thousand, isn't that a wonderful thing?**

**Wouldn't that be fine**

**So, please...**

"But still you weren't better. You just stood there like a statue. I'm a walking electric armchair,I exploded like bomb and shooting out billion volt of electricity. Yet you still not moved. Where was that right hand of yours when you really need it to save your own life?", she hit him on the head. It was a hard one, she ignored his groan and only gave him another one when he started grinning like an idiot.

Instead of fighting back, he had risen his hand like a sign of defeat. He couldn't fight her. He didn't want to fight her. That's why he stood still, hoping that his words could reach her, no matter how she had resisted it.

**You really are stupid**

Came back to her gentle tone, she continued: "Nonetheless, you made that promise. To me, somehow it was unexpected and not needed. You didn't have anything to do with those experiments. By getting your money eaten by a vending machine, carrying bunch of cans, you, just stepped in like that"

_"This has nothing to do with you... Just close your eyes and pretend like you never saw anything... You could still go back to your ordinary life... Why would you let yourself be beat up like this? Your heart might have stopped for a moment too?"_, the girl said, stopped walking. The boy seemed to be surprised at this. They now stood opposite to each other. He soon curve his lips to a smile. Kamijou remembered that line. Even if he wanted to forget, he couldn't. How could he forget the words that came from a poor girl with such a heavy burden on her shoulder looking down at him while crying? Not the third strongest level 5, not a strong, selfish and tomboyish girl loved to give a poor vending machine a kick on its side to get free juice, not an ojou-sama coming from such a prestigious school that could easily solve a high school's homework with a short glance and buy a whole store by her wallet, just a normal middle schooler girl crying for help. Kamijou Touma knew that well. He had seen it by his own eyes.

"Seriously, even though I have asked this once, but _how could you keep smiling like that_?", her expression didn't change much. She sounded almost irritated yet truthfully.

Then she felt warmth on her head.

"Ah"

The right hand that had been through so many fights, saved him from death multiple times, brought peace to this world not only once, it was now, rubbing her head gently. He had done this to her once, still in this Iron Bridge although the circumstance was different a little. Like the previous time, MIkoto felt peace.

"Because I'm glad to be your friend"

There was no way he could know how much did those words mean to her.

His hand didn't move anymore but it still remain its position. The spiky hair boy stared deeply at her brown eyes. "That's why... Don't cry"

"Eh? Wah?"

Mikoto's shoulder jumped like a normal person being through a flow of low voltage of electricity. There was a tear steaming down on her face, silently dropped. "Since when did I...", she was going to turn away and wipe her cheek as well as having her face kept. But he was faster than that. Taking a hold of her wrist, he stopped her.

"What are you... "

Mikoto was actually going to ask what was he going to do, but she had no chance to finish it. Because there was an action made her stop, those words stuck in her throat.

Because her face was no longer feeling cold. It was warm in this below 0 degree celsius weather. Of course that was not because of the heat coming out from the street light. It was to small comparing to this weather so it was kinda useless.

But sometimes, only a feeling of 37 celsius was enough to warm someone up...

Kamijou was touching her cheek with his palm. The highschool boy tilted her head upward to meet her eyes.

He was wiping her tears while wearing a smile.

All her mind could register was his caring blue eyes and the tender of his touch. Mikoto didn't know if she felt hot on her face because of his temperature or the blush on her cheeks. Somehow, without her knowing, her tears after a minute or two actually stopped, left her staring at him with wide eyes.

"I'm happy that you're feeling better", Kamijou seemed to notice this too, "That's good", his hand was still caressing her cheek.

Normally, Mikoto would have exploded million shades of red or getting all biribiri. This time she was different, she still blushed, but not as hard as before, there was no electricity came out either.

_This was not her reason to come here anyway_

* * *

The Railgun pushed his hand away slowly, averted her gaze. Withstanding his gaze was not something she could handle. And he let her even though deep inside, he felt a little disappointed, Kamijou Touma missed the touch of her beautiful and soft skin. That made MIkoto note how hesitant his hand was.

"Yea... yeah . Guess I just got too emotional. Haha'', Mikoto turned to the right, where the light couldn't reach to hide her face from him, forcing a laugh to cool herself down. Kamijou understood her action, as a result, he wouldn't push her. Returning his hand into the pocket, the boy patiently waited for her to finish wiping her tears and breathing exercise. When she finally faced him, Kamijou was happy because she didn't cry anymore, wiping the nose by her slim index finger, Misaka Mikoto was smiling.

Yes

Kamijou Touma swore that his heart had stopped for a moment.

* * *

"Neh Uiharu, If you don't want to spoil someone's mood, then don't be late. Do you know how cold this weather is and the feeling of a lonely girl standing in the middle of the street without being accompanied in Christmas!?", Saten Ruiko was definitely mad.

"Im sorry Saten-san. But there was a little girl getting lost, so I had to stay with her and contact other Judgment members to help that poor girl to find her parents.

"It's so complicated. You can't even have your day off. Uwoh! What's with your flowers!? They are half gone! Comes to think about it, you look pale Uiharu. So you and your flowers are connected. This means... Oh no! Those Judgment things are killing you!"

"That's not something that someone would say when she called me to go out when I was sleeping after an exhausting day of Judgment or else I will see various pieces of paper with creepy urban legends on them all over my front door, Saten-san. Why do you have to call me while I had already lied in bed!?, then Uiharu embraced her flowers with all her might,"And my flowers did not suddenly look terrible like this. I have to run at my full speed in this flow of people!", Uiharu Kazari shrieked while pointing her index finger at the crowd walking on the street.

"M... Mah", Saten scratched her cheek, "I can make it up to you. Buying new flowers, how's that!?", and the long-hair girl's voice filled with excitement at the later part.

"Hahhhhh. I can do that myself", sighed the Judgment girl in defeated. "You are so cruel, Saten-sa... W-Why are you staring at me like that!?"

"I'm just thinking, you are not wearing skirt today. Now how am I going to flip your skirt?"

"Uwah! What are you thinking Saten-san!? How can I wear skirt in this weather!? I'm not Tokiwadai's student!"

"Ho ho. So you actually wanted me to flip your skirt, I see I see. He he"

"I didn't say that!? Where do you get that idea from Saten-san!?"

Saten continued her ramblings regardless

"That's mean I owe you one. Don't worry Uiharu. I promisre that I will flip your skirt twice next time we meet"

"Kyahhh"

* * *

"It's such a pity that Misaka-san and Shirai-san couldn't go with us"

"Um. I can't believe that Tokiwadai's rules don't allow students to go out even in Christmas. Being ojou-sama sure is tough. You have to do this and that. Guess that I'd prefer a normal life like this. But well, at least they had a celebration."

"I remember that Dorm Mistress", Saten's face paled. "But don't you think that Misaka-san is acting weird these days?"

"Hai?"

"Not sneaking out of the dorm to go with us is weird enough already, Uiharu. She seemed distract while going with us . I wonder if she was okay. Shirai-san is worrying about her too" said Saten, recalling her memories of the past few days of Misaka-san.

"Yes. Misaka-san is not the type that would tell her problem that easily. That makes me sad and guilty. Being her friend but can't do anything to help her", Uiharu sadly said.

"Uiharu...", Saten stared at Uiharu in surprised, then she grinned widely and gave her poor friend a painfully pat in the back that shoved her forward and made her yell. "Don't worry. I'm sure Misaka-san will be fine. She's the Ace of Tokiwadai after all"

In fact, there was one time in the past, Misaka Mikoto had been like this. They knew something happened to her. 'Staying over at night with her boyfriend' was just a random reason that Saten made out to convince her fiends and herself. Though that was so unreasonable. Misaka-san didn't seem to be a girl would do that at this age. Anyway, deep inside, Saten knew that Misaka-san was in serious trouble that she couldn't share with anyone.

Luckily, things had got back to normal. She didn't know if it had been Mikoto or someone else solve the problem, Misaka-san had came back to the strong, tsundere friend she had always admired.

Saten Ruiko had faith in her upperclassman, that's the truth could never be shaken.

"I wonder what Misaka-san wanted to talk to us once we meet tomorrow. I hope it's not something serious"

* * *

"Do you know why did I choose this iron bridge that night?", Mikoto leaned forward on the bridge railing. She kept her vision at the water surface. Kamijou couldn't quite see her face. The distance between them was around 3 meters, he was enable to hear what she was saying.

"Uhm... Not really", he had never thought about that before. Because of the EMP waves that he was able to find her while running around district 7. The question why she was on this bridge was never on the list.

"When I stress out...", She seemed to study his expression, "I would find somewhere windy. That night, my body just moved on its own. As a result, I had reached this place before I knew it", she chuckled.

Kamijou kept silent. A small wind blew past them. Snow was falling harder than before but no one even thought about brushing of the snow on their clothes.

"Since then, when I'm depressed or have to make a difficult decision, in attempts not to bother my friends, this is the first destination I could think of. And you know what, it had became my favorite place to go. There were sometimes I dared to pass the curfew just to take a walk on this bridge", her laugh echoed up the empty bridge.

Mikoto took a glimpse at him before closing her beautiful brown eyes, continuing, "No matter how desperate, sad and helpless I am, I like it here"

The short-brown hair girl turned to him , looking so peaceful. The wind blew softly, caressing the electromaster's hair. The image of her smiling and the yellow hue of the lights made him dizzy.

Mikoto didn't know the reason why but she knew he was frozen, she questioned, 'What about you? What would you do when you're down?

Kamijou quickly snapped to reality, he spluttered, "M-Me?" Well, he didn't expected that the conversation would turn into him, or at least she would ask him back. He saw her nodded.

''W-well, I guess I would lie on the floor all day. But I don't want Index to be worried", she flinched, however he didn't notice,"So sometimes I wandered around Academy City or just sit on a bench in the park. Kamijou-san doesn't want Index to bite his head off because he's too depressed to make her food"

"I see. Guess we both have crazy roommates to take care of", Miikoto added that and they burst out laughing. Who knew if a certain nun with 32 teeth screaming for food and a perverted kouhai would be the Imagine Breaker and the Railgun's pain in the butt.

Soon the laugh subsided,

"Misaka"

"Hmm?"

"You're actually weird these days", Kamijou looked at Mikoto both in worry and confusion,"Is something wrong?"

The smile didn't leave her face but her fingers flinched. Even though Kamijou failed to notice this, he still had the odd feeling running inside his body."Why do you think so?", the Ace of Tokiwadai merely shrugged, looking at the horizon on the river. Her grip on the railing tightened.

"Not... not really. It's just... I haven't seen you for a week. At first I thought you were busy for school, but you didn't answer my messages, my calls though that was I want you to help me with my homework. Then you called in the evening to go out all by sudden. You asked me to dress and come to your school, then sneaked out of the dorm to eventually convinced me for a walk, you-"

"What parts of those are that weird anyway? The shorted-brown hair girl voice was strained as she cut his line.

"We HAD fun together", Kamijou declared, "I'm not saying that we never had fun together because we did. Bumping into each other in front of a vending machine in the park, throwing insults or lightning spear. We hardly had a proper conversation. However, I enjoyed my time with you and I'm sure you felt that too Misaka. And no, don't deny it. Not that I don't like what we have done this evening. But... it has never been this way. You smiled and laugh all the time and you haven't let out sparks when i called you 'biribiri' or even just narrowed your eyes at me this whole night. I don't think that your gestures were fake, then in the other hand the only first time your were actually this calm was the... Sisters incident", he hesitantly paused to look at Mikoto in worried, recalling that painful memories was not Kamijou's intention, not to hurt her. "Is there something bothering you?"

Misaka Mikoto looked at him for a moment. Suddenly, her response upon hearing that were strange yet so familiar.

She laughed with an unknow meaning. Turning her back to him and looking at the sky blankly. The Railgun brushed the snow on her shoulders, asked almost teasingly,"So you've finally learnt to read people's mood after those whole time or following instinct, oi idiot?"

The spiky-hair boy seemed to be struggled with the answer, "Well, I... Just my thoughts. Maybe... but... haha", Kamijou laughed in awkward while scratching his head. Somehow he felt like he was accusing her. Misaka Mikoto's smile was real. So perhaps he had been being overreacted.

Mikoto merely tilled her head.

"Knowing your luck...", Kamijou turned at her voice.

"Such misfortune", Mikoto mimicked his favourite quote, she raised her chin made Kamijou have a perfect view of her face, "You're not wrong at all"

She took a deep sigh. It became a white smoke because of the cold, vanishing in the air.

She turned back to face him.

She smiled again and said to him.

"There is something bothering me"

* * *

"Onee-sama... "

Shirai Kuroko, Mikoto's roomate and bestfriend. A potential level 4 teleporter and a member of branch 177th of Judgment. Not only admiring Mikoto, Kuroko was even famous of her affection toward the electromaster.

Kuroko look at the time on her small phone's screen. Midnight would come soon.

And Mikoto still didn't come back. This was not the first time Kuroko had to face situation like this. She lied to the Dorm Mistress, faking Mikoto's existance by hiding a big pillow under Mikoto's blanket. The suspicuos look of the Dorm Mistress scared her to death. Even when she was gone and left Kuroko in room 208, Kuroko couldn't help but feel her neck aching. She silently thanked her acting or the Dorm Mistress would twist her neck and throw her out of the dorm like tossing a can of juice.

Later, that was not her concern anymore.

Judging by her perverted behavior to a certain roommate, if people liked playing games or reading books for their routine, Shirai Kuroko would sneak into her onee-sama's bed and start sniffing all over the place. Such a pervert she was. Sounded creepy but she could smell Mikoto's scent even if the bed sheet, blanket and pillow were dumped into the washing machine with washing powder reaching its top. Doing all the perverted things then getting electrocuted to her sense by her beloved onee-sama . And she called that 'The whip of love'.

However, not this time.

Looking at the time. It was Christmas. Mikoto went out was a big lost to the Judgment girl. They would have stayed in their nest(what she called) after the celebration in order to enjoy being together. Maybe drugging Mikoto to sleep and doing god-know-what-that-was to her was in the twin-tailed girl's plan.

But no, Shirai Kuroko didn't have time to think about it.

"Onee-sama", lying on her bed, clenching the phone in her hand, she stared blankly at the ceiling.

She, onee-sama, Uiharu-san and Saten-san would have gone somewhere to entertain like what they had agreed... well, two weeks ago. She and Kuroko wanted to left early so they could go out and have fun. But it turned out her onee-sama even left the Chrismast celebration right after the principal finished her wishes to all Tokiwadai students. Leaving Kuroko stuck with the two-hour celebration with a dish with food on her hand and a lot of questions such as: 'Where's MIsaka-san? Why she didn't come here and make a speech? Where's our Ace? Shirai-san, is that true that Misaka-sama has a boyfriend?"

And Kuroko still remembered a devil wearing glasses called 'Dorm Mistress-sama'. The high and mighty woman of Tokiwadai's dorm had radiated a dark aura behind her back while whispering to the twin-tail girl, 'You are not gooing to leave so soon right, Shirai?'

The Judgment girl stared at the door,

"No matter how it's going to turn out, please carefully consider your decision"

And Shirai Kuroko closed her eyes. The snow wouldn't stop falling.

* * *

"There is... something bothering you?", his eyebrows lifted up.

She didn't answer. But her expression could be understood as a confirmation.

"Can you tell what it is!? Are you ok!? Do you need my help!?"", the spiky-hair boy stammered. There was no doubt that he worried for her, a lot. Yet, he felt a bit relieved at the same time. Misaka Mikoto had trust him enough to actually tell him her problem, not hiding anything. Maybe she was actually going to ask him for his help, he was the one that she could rely on.

However, what he was received was the girl shaking her head.

"You...", Kamijou didn't stop, but words couldn't leave his mouth. Because she had said before he could.

Mikoto asked if she could asked him a question while smiling, he nodded.

Whatever she was going to say, it must be hard since she paused for a moment, so he waited.

The Railgun took a hold of her wrist.

"Neh"

"Have you ever loved someone?"

"Eh?"

"Have you ever loved someone?", she repeated.

"Loved?... You mean... Of course I have. I mean I value my friends and family and..."

"Let me put it this way..."

Mikoto was a little annoyed because of his denseness.

"Have you ever had a crush on someone?"

"E-Eh? 'Crush' you mean..., what are you talking about? ", Kamijou laughed nervously. It was like recording confession from a high school student of his faults and blackmailing him for his money or that will be broadcasted the next day. And Kamijou knew that once Misaka Mikoto took a hold of him, he would end up being her 'slave', again.

Besides, there was no way he could believe that was something coming out from her.

"No. I think so"

"Are you sure?"

"Not really.I don't know about me before losing memories, but I guess this 'me' haven't had that kind of feeling"

"I see"

"Why did you come to that question Misaka?"

"Who knows." replied Mikoto

Fail to get him understand, she called out, "Then what do you think of me?"

"You? Well, Misaka, you are a very reliable friend and... such" Kamijou jumped at her question.

It was not a lie. Still Kamijou felt off in his own answer.

And especially in Mikoto's facial movements.

Nothing.

She didn't scold him.

She didn't blush or let out deadly sparks.

She didn't smile either.

When the boy started feeling confused, she asked him another question.

"You mean you love me... as a friend?"

"Y-Yeah"

"Nothing more?"

"Eh what? What do you mean Misaka?" Without knowing any meaning in the Railgun's question, Kamijou asked her back.

"Just answer. Have you ever think of me as a... very important person to you?" The seriousness in her brown eyes didn't fail to make him stopped laughing.

"I... we are friends and...", all he felt could only be summed up in a word "shock".

Kamijou Touma received an unexpected question from the Ace of Tokiwadai. "Of course you are an important to me, I mean Index and the others too", his cheeks got hot a little but he smiled while invert his gaze to other direction. Because there was nothing to be embarrassed for.

" I see", her voice trailed off, like a broken radio.

"What's wrong, Misaka?"

The difference between the 'Misaka Mikoto' and today Misaka Mikoto had been clearly shown by her behavior.

Mikoto was acting weird because something was bothering her. But why did she come up with that question?

He didn't get it.

Now he thought about what she had asked earlier. It was not that he didn't know what love was. In fact, He DID love. Kamijou knew that he loved people surrounding he had met, making friend with, fighting with were people he held dear for. Kamijou didn't know much about his previous self, but when he was still himself, Kamikou Touma would definitely protect them no matter what.

So he had a lot of people were carefully placed inside his heart. That were his important people.

But 'crush on someone'?

"Listen, I have a very important thing to tell you. I'm going to say this honestly, so please listen"

"Eh? U.. um", he was snapped back to reality when her gentle tone rang in his ears. Looking up and he saw her smiling brightly. For the first time, she called him by his name. "Kamijou Touma..."

"I love you"

"H-Hah?"

"I love you", Mikoto said it again without any hesitation, those words came out from her becoming more sincere, pleasant to ears, " I have loved you all along"

He couldn't feel the cold from the wind that was blowing past them, not because the clothes kept him warm. In fact, his face could hardly move or feel anything. The spiky-hair boy was dumbfounded. If his brain was a computer, then it was in process battling all its limit in order to solve the three-word sentence she had just said.

Because that wasn't a simple three-word sentence.

All her strength...

All her confidence...

All her feelings...

What she had always denied, but silently accepting it inside, what she had always wanted to say, but couldn't... had been spoken.

Finally, for the first time in her life, she had been able to say that to him, and only him. Now she was wondering why it could come out from her so easy.

"You... love m... me?", Kamijou asked back her in disbelief, eyes wided open then asked himself why the word 'love' was so hard to say aloud.

She loved him?

"Yes."

"Mi... saka?"

Kamijou laughed a bit stupidly, "Are you kidding me? Where's the camera? Tsuchimikado was not after this right?." Half expecting the Tokiwadai's Ace would burst out laughing at him in the face until she got to tears while patting his shoulder with a pity face. So he looked around to find any stalkers but it seemed there was no one except them were on this Iron Bridge. Turning to her to find an answer, Mikoto still kept silent, made his laugh died off. There was no humor inside her brown eyes as she was looking at his.

"You... are not serious, right Misaka?!", there was a loud thump in his chest, nervous filled his mind.

And Misaka Mikoto nodded as she stared at him.

The boy opened his mouth as if he was on the verge of saying something, however it closed right after that

So he blushed and scratched his head while looking down, unable to meet her in the eyes. After a moment of awkwardness, Kamijou finally spoke.

"I... um I'm glad to hear that... Thank... you"

"Don't you found it weird or something?", she questioned, being amazed about his ability to understand her words and further, his answer. Maybe he was not that dense or just Mikoto had chosen the wrong way of approaching him those previous time.

"That's... I don't expected... this... I mean... you... I..."

Couldn't put the blame on the boy. Most of their time being together, they would argue about nonsense things with lightnings, screaming and power failure. In Mikoto's case, it was now normal if she blushed so mad as if there was steam coming out from her ears when she saw his figure walking from afar or having any simple interactions with him. In Kamijou's case, he was too distracted (and dense) to notice, for example the he couldn't even point out the differences between blushing and a fever. Generally saying, if they had a proper conversation, these two were, painfully saying, in the middle of battles or serious stuffs.

However, at this place, this time, things had got different.

Mikoto would be serious if she had to, like she had reached that idiot hand, like she had tried to tell him that he was not alone, like she had hugged him in the snow and taught him about the perfect world, the paradise for all but one.

Because she wanted to bear his burden.

Because she wanted him to continue to fight for his desires.

Because she wanted to help him.

Because she wanted to support him.

Because Misaka Mikoto wanted to be with him.

"Misaka"

"I'm sorry, but I can't return your feeling"

"..."

"I'm sorry. I think, we should just... stay as friends"

There was a pregnant silence.

"... I understand"

It was so hard that he didn't dare to look at her to see her expression. When everything was becoming more and more awkward, suddenly he heard her chuckled. Being surprised, Kamijou promptly raised his head to see her smiling.

Saying "Neh. Can you do me a favor?" and took one step closer to him. Kamijou nodded, he couldn't reject, "What is thi..."

Before the boy could even finish his sentence, Misaka Mikoto had took big steps to his direction...

And the distance between them was zero.

Their body were pressed on each other. Kamijou Touma was so shock that he was shaking like crazy and stammered, "Misa... Misaka... What are you doing!?"

Mikoto wrapped her arms behind his back into a gentle embrace as she leaned her head on his shoulders. She whispered, "Please, just.. stay like this for a while"

He heard her and stopped shaking. Kamijou could smell the scent from her body. The warm feeling from Mikoto's hug that was transferred to him was so big that he was going to wrap his arms and hug her back with unawareness. However, only when did they almost touch her small back, Kamijou realized and immediately stopped his action.

His arms quietly dropped by the sides.

* * *

"So... I'll be going", Mikoto said as if it was obvious.

"Hah?"

"I have done what I wanted to, so I'd better not stay here for long or Dorm Mistress would kill me the second I step into the door", she blinked her eyes."Y... yeah", Kamijou tried to get his words through, "See you." The Ace of Tokiwadai's shoulders stiffed and her eyebrows furrowed, which he found weird. "Yeah, see you", Mikoto smiled at him for the last time and turned her shoes at him.

Kamijou didn't leave his eyes out of her figure until it disappeared from his sight.

"Honestly, why do you have to push yourself no to cry like that?." He asked quietly even though he didn't expect an answer for his question since no one was there, in fact, he knew the answer well. Touching his right shoulder where she had leaned on. "You're so stubborn." Having the memories of the past few minutes in his head, Kamijou believed that he could still hear her heart beating while she was hugging him. And seriously saying, Kamijou was shocked that his jacket didn't get wet. He thought she was actually crying on his shoulder since her trembling form showed that fact. Might not be the person who understand her the most, the boy knew her enough to know she was trying to act strong. Why didn't she just cry? To live with her real, heavy emotions?

"Heh", Kamijou Touma bit his upper lip so hard that it bled. "I am the jerk for making her like that... Now I'm even dare to think about her crying on my shoulders?"

He felt so weak and helpless that he could hardly breath.

He didn't have enough strength to prevent her from leaving. Suddenly He realized, most of the time they had met, the person who left first with thousand of excuses, was him. While Mikoto was trying to shout some nonsense things from behind, he just waved at her and walked off. Kamijou didn't know she wanted to call him back, to stay with him a little longer. The thought of punching himself for being insensitive was filled in his chest. She left first for this only time and he felt this empty, then what about those times when he left her behind? How did Misaka Mikoto feel? He didn't know or have a proper knowledge of it, because he had never been in that position, and there was high possibility that Kamijou didn't care much for her feelings. Sure he wanted to protect her, but put his resolve before her feelings was just wrong.

He felt so guilty that he didn't have courage to hug her back.

He hate himself for being so useless because he couldn't return her feelings.

Kamijou Touma didn't reject Misaka Mikoto right after she confessed to him was not because he didn't love her. In fact, he _did_. But it seemed to him that emotion was not love in a romantic way. She was special to him, but... such things as 'love' or 'crush'? He loved her more than a friend, however was that that big so he could stand proudly with his chin high and say he love her too? How could the boy say that line when he didn't even have the slightest certainty of his feelings?

He scared, really. He scared that she wouldn't stay by his side anymore from the very moment he said 'sorry'. He scared she would cry in suffer and push herself to limit in front of him.

However, If he had accepted her confession, was it counted as playing with her emotion? Or any guarantee for her safety if she would ever become his girlfriend, his most important person? He had enemies.

So he rejected her, knowing how pain was it. That was the best way.

Looking at the thing in his hand sadly, he thrust it inside the pocket and made his way to the dorm.

Once again, Kamijou Touma put his resolve before Misaka Mikoto's feelings.

* * *

Misaka Mikoto was supposed to head back to her dorm in district 7. It was late and amount people going outside didn't seem to reduce.

"Then what am I doing here?", muttering, Mikoto found herself sitting on a bench in the park which she usually went to after school . And everyone was focusing on their fun and the electromaster definitely was not on the list. Needless to say, she was certainly the most lonely in this park. Hearing the others laughing and rollicking while having bad mood just made them sound stupid.

She had the feelings that her strength had been drained to its last drop.

Mikoto closed her eyes and intended to shut herself for a couple of minutes, so she leaned on the backrest...

Thinking about her reality, her only reality: Being rejected. For the first time in her live, Mikoto had confessed to the boy she had a strong affection to. And got rejected. It was funny somehow, Kamijou Touma had shattered her screwed up illusion about them being together. Images of them walking together under the sun and other chessy, beautiful prospects one by one being broken inside her head.

But it's not like she blamed him. About him shattering her illusion was only her silly thought to find something funny so she could laugh of. Mikoto smile as her chin almost reached her chest.

She knew this would happen from the beginning.

She knew no matter how much she tried, she... couldn't reach him, she would fail to reach him.

She knew it wouldn't work out.

Kamijou was not at fault, but her. He had right to reject and deny what he didn't want. He didn't have the same feeling as her, the only idiot running after a chance of being in a special relationship with him. Mikoto wanted to hit her head against the nearest wall for being a idiot. Because she knew she would hardly stand a chance but still made a decision to run after it, if after her many fail attempts to approach him was not enough of a clue. So she decided she would just leave the race. She gave up. She couldn't run anymore. Like a athletes left his own chance to win a medal, sitting down at the side tiredly and look at his opponents reaching the finish line with regret in his eyes.

But did she regret this decision?

Misaka Mikoto didn't. A lot of things she had regretted for. But she chose this. Even though everything hadn't gone anywhere and was even worse, the Level 5 would never have that feelings this time.

Maybe, just maybe, she had done the right thing.

What was the point of this one-sided affection if he never noticed? They were just friends, nothing special. Let assume she was one of his closest friend, but didn't mean he would ever fall in love with her. She knew that.

Knowing the result, #3 confessed in order to show her feelings toward him, and let it go.

"Even though I knew this would happen..."

Staring at the sky, muttering as some snowflakes fell on her hair.

"Then why I feel so hurt..."

Before her eyes closed, the tears didn't miss its chance to steaming down from the corner of her eyes.

Giving up on someone had never been simple, it made you feel helpless and useless. You would blame yourself. Why having those emotions? Why were you unable to stop them in time before it became so big that your feelings were killing you from the inside? Why did you try to push yourself so hard to say what you have had in you heart and ruined your relationship with that person? Things between you would never come back to it old self. After realizing your mistake in the past, you were left like an empty shell.

Holding the two small rings in her hand, Misaka Mikoto whispered.

"It was a lot emptier than I though it would be..."

* * *

Misaka Mikoto finally released her embrace as her chick flustered a light pink color. "Sorry"

Kamijou replied. "No... There's nothing"

"Look, Misaka. I'm sorry", saying the highschool boy as he refused to meet her eyes.

"What are you sorry again?"

"For, I mean... you know..."

"No", the Railgun shrugged, "You don't have anything to say sorry for"

"But I-", he wanted to protest but there was something was quickly held in front of hís face, "Eh?", stepping a small step back, he stared at the thing

'(A paper bag?)'

"It's for you", Mikoto stated.

"M... me? What's this", suprised Kamijou as he tried to study the small paper bag. "Geez, just for Christmas. What's with that face of yours!?", Mikoto tilted to the left to tell him with a solemn look on her face.

Kamijou Touma was lost at words.

"W... wait a minute. I can't take this Misaka!"

"Why?", Mikoto had a what-now face.

"Because I... I don't have anything to give you. And how I can even think about taking this after I had re- ah I mean, take it back. What kind of person am I!?"

His voice was in verge of panic and somehow ashamed. Mikoto gave a deep sigh as she lowered her hand. "Seriously you don't have to force yourself if you just anciently spit out that word, but... just take this. I'm baking it myself this time. Don't think this is bought in an expensive store in the underground malls"

"Baking yourself... don't tell me this is..."

"Hai hai. Just some cookies. Not that big deal"

So she remembered the stupid request he had made in the hospital? He was just joking to cheer her up( and she almost fried all the electrical equippments in that room).

Anyways, Kamijou Touma didn't have enough courage to look at her eyes, how would he even dare to received that much from her? He rejected her feelings and now receiving a Christmas gift that he didn't have anything with him to give her back. The boy couldn't accept her kindness.

Mikoto seemed to understand his problem. Her face became serious but still had it tenderness.

"Listen. You don't have to think about giving me back anything after this. I was the one calling you first so you don't have time to prepare, I understand this." The corners of her lips lifted up when he opened his mouth, intended to say something, but remained silent. The wind blew through made his throat dry.

"I have failed to give you last time. So please, accept this... If you find it hard, then just think this as a late thank you give after saving me in the Sister incident", Mikoto took his right hand and placed it on his palm gently as she spoke.

"Thank you, again, Kamijou Touma"

"And wish you a happy Christmas"

The smile she gave to him was so warm that he thought the sun was rising from the horizon.

* * *

**27nSySt aka phantom216's here. I changed my pen name, hope you guys don't mind.**

**Now, You might be wondering what am i trying to tell in this story.**

**actually i dont know. just me imagining of a certain confession. And this is painfully to say, but i love angst genre along with making my favorite character suffer(you hear that right)**

**Anyway there was some points i want to tell you**

**If you are thinking that touman's solution in this fanfic is... well... typical(he wanted to protect her) and stupid(he still put his resolve before Mikoto's feelings eventhough he had understood it a little bit) then for the typical thing: like I said, I like to make my favorite character suffer. For the stupid thing: I think that's how touma is. Besides, if he doesn't have that kind of feelings how could he accept it?**

**And why did Mikoto cry so easily in the beginning? I think that she always try to act strong, so when she forgot focusing on it, her walls would break and she would get emotional. But if you read this you can probably guess i was trying to make a scene similiar to the legendary bridge scene. Like history repeated.**

**Before saying goodbye, this fanfic has been written for months. I just finished it this evening and it didn't have beta reading. So if you think it's sucks, boring, too many grammatical errors, misspelled, etc... Please forgive me!**

**p/s: oh and this might be a two-short lol **


	2. Chapter 2: See you

Kamijou Touma was walking back to his dorm. He had just finished bying ingredients for tonight dinner from the usual convenient store.

It was Tuesday.

And he felt something was missing.

* * *

When he sratched his head with his left hand, Kamijou left a simple groan, "Argh!"

Half-closed eyes, he decided that he had fallen on the ground on the street.

"Sorry kid! Are you okay? You should watch where you are going next time. If people are all like you, bumping on the others and ruin all those ingredients, the world will be lack of food."

"Ah, yes, uwah! My food!", Kamijou was on the point of standing up with the plastic bag which was supposed to be unsratched in his right hand, but then he desperatedly looked at the ground.

"It would have been not that bad, if you hadn't bought just eggs. Are you doing a part-time job in a omelet rice restaurant or something? From the look of you, I guess you're quite a gook cook", the man said as he stretched out his hand in front of Kamijou's face. "Kora''

"Thank you…", Kamijou took the strange man's hand to stand up and avoid the look from outsiders. While he cleaning up the mess on the ground, chosing thoses egges that hadn't been broken or cracked yet then dumped them into the trashcan which was on the left of a clothes store on his right, the man just stood and watch.

"I'm sorry for bumping on you….", said Kamijou apologically as he bowed his head down. Staring at his 'victim' from head to toes, it was a big and tall man had brown hair, around the mid to late thirties. Despite of having beard, he still has a quite a manly and well-feature face and gave Kamijou expression of a dream man.

And Kamijou wondered why his shirt's buttons were still opened under his black suit, revealed his colarbone and strong build since the green scarft he wore couldn't hide it. The boy admire him his ability to stand in the middle of the street in that outfit these days.

"… Um… Sir?"

"Well. More than half food of yours can't be used now, and they were dumped anyway, so kid, despite of the fact that it was not particulaly my fault and you look like having to turn back and buy those again or you will die tonight, unfortunaly I carry no money with me right now, so I can't make it up to you."

"No, it was my fault for not having concentrated! I'm sorry for wasting your time, S-Sir!

Kamijou bowed down to the man,again(with the plastic bag in right hand ofcourse).

This man, he had appearence of a successful man.

Yet, he said he hadn't brought any money with him.

And he didn't seem to belonged to Academy City.

Kamijou guessed he was an outsider.

And he didn't want to deal with any trouble now at the slightest. But being unable to say: "Sorry again!" and run away like a stupid highschool boy getting up at the wrong side of his bed, Kamijou quickly settle things with the strange man and left, aimlessly. He had a strong desire to want to believe that the other man's eyes were not on him.

Just a few more second, the upcoming misfortune might not come at all!  
"Hey kid! Yes! You! Sleepy boy walking on street over there! Come back here!"

"You owed me total of 5 minutes and 2 seconds and ruined my suit! Don't you see those wrinkles over there?! So pay back by leading me to this dorm of Tokiwadai Middle School!"

* * *

'(What's with this man?!)

Kamijou turned to the left to look at his 'victim', who was folding his arms against the chest at the moment. He neither showed any sign of amusement nor annoyance.

They were on a bus.

They were on a bus to Tokiwadai Middle School's dorm.

"Is there something on my face kid?"  
"N-No. I'm just thinking why you want to go to Tokiwadai's dorm? Do you have your daughter staying there or something?"

"At least you didn't take me after a yakuza."

"So I was wrong?"

"No. You're right. I'm heading to my daughter"

Kamijou nodded at him as an answer. Inside, he wanted to ask few more question to light up the conversation and let himself be more comfortable, but asking those things might hit sensitive subject and privacy, so silence is golden.

"Do you know any girls from Tokiwadai?", the man rested his chin on his hand like a guy had been boringly waiting for his girlfriend in a park for thirty minutes.

''Why do you sound like I'm a playboy?"

"You are not?"  
"Of course not!. I'm just a normal high school student! How in the world would I be a playboy?!"

"I have analytical eyes you know"

"I am seriously scared of you. Is you daughter's personality like you? I've had enough of abnormal ojou-sama."

"Well. You can say my daughter inherited my intelligence, and maybe our spending habits on favourite things are the same. I'm glad that she didn't drink like me and my wife. She's too innocent."

"Sounds not normal enough to me"

"It depends on your definition of normal, kid. To me, she is the most beautiful girl in this world", the other man smiled as he looked at Kamijou."You know, my job doesn't let me to stay with my family. I can't go to the office in the morning at come back home every night like any white-collar workers. It has been a year since I last saw her. My wife is luckier when sometimes she can take the time to pay her a visit."

"My daughter was grown up in a perfectly normal environment. She's like any girls with the same ages out there. Though she's studying in a pretogious school and she is always thought to be an perfect ojou-sama doesn't change the fact that she's stubbon, short-tempered and most of all, a normal person"  
"… Can I ask for your daughter's name sir?"

"Look! We're here"

So before Kamijou could have his response, the man had dragged him out off the bus.

The boy named Kamijou Touma and the man he just met were walking toward dorm's gate of Tokiwadai. The boy refused going with the man, but he insisted.

Kamijou could take this father to the dorm.

But he really didn't want to get near it.

But…

"So do you know which number is you daughter's room. I'll do it for you"

His index finger was touching the screen, ready to press any moment. Making this quick so he could get out of here.

"Before that, kid. Thanks for leading me. What's your name?"  
"Kamijou, Kamijou Touma"  
"Kamijou?", the father raised an eyebrow.

"Is there anything sir?"

"Nothing. Ah, let me introduce. I am-"  
"Papa?! What are you doing here?!"  
Kamijou heard a voice rang in his ears.

It was so familiar and had a strong impact on him that he heard a loud thump in his chest.

Gulping his savila, he turned to the voice's direction.

And he saw…

Standing right there was a pretty, short chestnut brown hair Tokiwadai girl with the eyes had the same color. She wore a small hair pin on her hair.

What he had been afraid from the beginning had happened.

Today was 26 December.

Two days after that night.

While Kamijou gaped, the other man grinned at the girl.

"Mikoto. Just in time I was looking for you"

* * *

"Y-you…", Mikoto was speechless, so was Kamijou. "What are you doing here?"

She was talking to him, not to the man. Her's eyes were on his.

"I was taking him", Kamijou pointed at the man standing next to him,''… to your dorm."

Suddenly he realized, "W-wait! Don't tell me you're-"  
"That's right, kid. I'm Misaka Tabigake. Mikoto is my daughter", Misaka-san, the strange man, finished his sentence without a care in the world.

Kamijou couldn't hide the shock, unsteadily taking a step back as his back almost lean against the door, he looked at Misaka-san, then to Mikoto. As though he had been trying to play the spot the diffference game. The boy was facing two Misaka's, face to face.

Misaka-san wasted no time, "As I thought, you two know each other."

"How did you know that?!", Kamijou could not control that he was shouting.

"Didn't I tell you I have analytical eyes?", Misaka the father answered almost proudly.

"Misaka-sama, is there something happened?! Why it is so loud?!"  
Kamijou abruply looked at Mikoto as the word 'Misaka' flew through the air, she had been keeping silent at first place. And behind her, was a group of girls from Tokiwadai too. Even though the uniform was the same, but all of them had the appearance of the rich, small girl that would never go anywhere alone without crews at night.

Mikoto's reaction was a shock when she saw Kamijou and her father. Her expression told him that. It looked like her face kept its status when Kamijou was 'chatting' with Misaka-san, only until those Tokiwadai girls turned up, was Mikoto snapped to reality.

So she inhaled, turned her back at him and smiled.

"I'm sorry. They are just talking a little too loud. I'm sorry for disturbing!"  
"No no Misaka-sama. We just thought something happened. But since it's there nothing, then excute us". All Kamijou could see was Mikoto's small back but, blushing while talking, the girl who was talking didn't even look at Mikoto's face as her body stiffed. That's gave him enough evidence to tell that Misaka Mikoto was smiling brightly. Kamijou thought Shirai Kuroko was the only kouhai looked up to Misaka Mikoto in that… way. But he was wrong.

She was the Ace of Tokiwadai after all.

And Mikoto approached him and her father after the group of girls walked pass them, slightly bowed their head, "Papa, why do you came? Didn't I tell you there was no need to?", the Railgun's tone sounded oddly cheerful.

"I have to take advantages or I will soon have my hands full you know?", Misaka Tabigake gave his daughter a patt on her head.

"So, um… K-Kamijou-san, thanks for helping my father. You can go home now. Even though I don't know the details, but I guess Papa has troubled you a lot. My apology"

Mikoto smiled, lady-like, and bowed her head at Kamijou, which he had never expected.

This wasn't real.

Misaka had never called him 'Kamijou-san' nor bowed her head at him.

What's with that polite gestures? And that way of talking?

Even in that Sister incident, she had hidden herself under the mask of her usual self.

Not this…

"So Papa. Don't you think it's time for dinner? Let's go. I know a very good family restaurant. In there we can talk", Mikoto didn't wait to hear Kamijou's answer, she urged her father by pushing his back forward.

"Do you want to call you friends? Your roomate, her name is Kuroko, right? Or…"  
Misaka the father stopped and stood such steadily that Mikoto couldn't continue pushing him.

"… This boy?"

* * *

There were times when Mikoto couldn't stop her father. Because if she had done that successfully, then Misaka Mikoto, Misaka Tabigake would have never sat in her usual family restaurant with Kamijou Touma with them.

"Let see… What should I choose? Mikoto?", Tabigake looked at the menu which the maid gave him few minutes ago as he called his daughter for opinion.  
"Eh? Ah… I think whatever is good papa…", hearing Tabigake, Mikoto stopped looking down blankly at the table to face her father.

"Hm? What about you, Kamijou-kun? Why don't you have a look and order?"

Kamijou, just like Mikoto, didn't dare to move a single finger or avert his eyes as if his spirit had left its body. So he couldn't come up with any decision that fast without being impolite to Misaka-san. He laugh awkwardly:"I-I think so too. Ha ha"

"You think so? Then…", Tabigake didn't leave his eyes off the menu on his hand.

"Excuse me!"

"What would you like sir?", the waitress took no time to come near them with pen and a small note in her hands.

"Three ramens please! And do you have beer of wine? Kamijou-kun, do you drink?"  
"Papa."  
"Right. Three ramens, and green tea too."

The waitress in the maid outfit left, before that she didn't forget to give a smile while saying, ''Please wait for a couple of minutes."

"Ahhh. It's been a long time since I last touched chopsticks to eat Japanese food"

Expecting no reply, Tabigake changed the topic. First was his daughter.

"So Mikoto-chan. How's your doing at school?"  
"Nothing special papa. I thought I have told you that"

"Hmm…"

"Kamijou-kun?"  
"Y-Yes?"  
"You said you are in first year of highschool right? Which mean you are two years older than my daughter. How did you happen to know her anyway?"

Mikoto and Kamijou first met had been in front of a vending machine.

That fact is the truth to him, but to the girl sitting across him, the story was undeniably different.

Due to his memories lost, he couldn't even remember himself, his family, how could he remember their first meeting?

Kamijou couldn't say ''I don't remember' without rising any questions coming form the father with analytical eyes. He wouldn't give a signal so Mikoto could help him to cover the holes.

What had happened on that Chrismast night caused him to look and treat Mikoto diffenrent than before. Things hadn't back to normal yet. Or perhaps they wouldn't. Kamijou didn't dare to face this girl.

So he was going to change the topic skillfully by pointing at a cat digging in the trashcan outside of the window. Stupid. But he had no choice.

"I met him on the street at night few months ago"  
"?!"

"There was a group of delinquents trying to flirt with me. When I stood boringly with the thought of no one would come to the rescue. Kamijou-san showed up."

"Hm…", Tabigake-san changed his eyes's target from Kamijou stiffen figure to Mikoto, who was now looking out of the window with chin in her right hand. Her voice was stable, not an inflection was given.

"So he…", Tabigake pointed at Kamijou, who was looking dumbfounded, "… took out all those guys?"  
"No", Mikotot answered almost imidiatly, "He pretened to be my friend in order to get me out of there, but then accidently insulting me. So in the fit of anger I electrocuted all of them, those delinquents were down, except him"  
Even though Mikoto mentioned Kamijou in her story, she didn't take a glimpse at him to show any sign of relieve, she said like she wasn't talking to her father, in the end of her narrative, Mikoto's face turned slightly, playing with her fingers as her lips curved to a sad smile.

"But that was a long ago!", Suddenly her tone changed to a cheerful one, like a kid in primary school. "Look! Dinner are served!"

'(That's how we met?)'  
Kamijou asked himself whilst staring at the brown hair girl.

He knew that Mikoto was concious of talking about his memories lost was a sensitive subject. And he didn't want to think about that neither.

But he should have asked her more about their relationship in those previous days though he could guess it was abnormal and not a so gentle story.

Now the spiky-hair boy was wondering why Misaka Mikoto actually had feelings toward him.  
"Itadakimasu"

They started eating their ramens. Being a family restaurant, but there was no complaint with the food. It's quite good comparing to many other places scattering all around this city.

"Neh Kamijou-san?"  
"A-Eh?! What?", Kamijou stattered. He wasn't get used to hearing her addressing him like that.

"You should eat. Staring won't make you full, don't you think so? Besides, I don't want to waste money."  
"Y-yeah. You're right. Sorry"  
"Nothing," sipping her tea elegantly, Mikoto smiled at him. "I guess holiday doesn't get us better"

Kamijou only knew to eat up his food.

* * *

Suddenly, there was a ringtone resounded.

It's likely came out from their place. As far as he concerned, Kamijou knew it was not his. So he expected Misaka-san would take his cellphone out. But it was Mikoto who answered the call. After looking at the screen and doing some simple touches while saying "Excuse me", she held the new black smartphone to her ears, left her seat and started talking to the person in the end of the line.

"Kuroko? What's wrong? Have you come back from Judgment yet?... I'm in Joshep. ...Yeah... Huh?!"

For an second, Kamijou saw Misaka's eyes, and the word expressed her shock which was so small that it was just enough to call a whisper coming out from her mouth.

Not until three minutes later, Mikoto came back to their table, looking around with a apologetic smile.

"Papa, I have to go now. I have something to take care of. You just finish eating. I have paid the bill. When it's done I will call. I think you should take your time to find a hotel."

"Is this? I was going to call some dessert. But go, Mikoto. I don't want to leave the place either. This cozy feeling has got into me."

"Just in case, don't get near my dorm okay?"

Tabigake pretended he heard nothing.

Then Railgun bowed her head...  
"Kamijou-san? It's fun going with you. Pardon me. Then if you excuse me I-."  
"Wait! Misaka, is there something wrong?", Kamijou sat up to grab her arms, stopped her from leaving with incredible speed in the last moment.

"Just some school things", Mikoto immediately tossed his worry aside as she shook her arms from his grasp.

"!"  
"So I'll be going"  
Misaka Mikoto left, leaving Kamijou, her father at that family restaurant.

Kamijou Touma, Misaka Tabigake were still staying in Joshep, the family restaurant. Tabigake had finished eating, he did love ramen in Japan after going abroad for a long time.

The only one who still had his bowl full was Kamijou. The boy was staring blankly with chopsticks in his right hand.

He couldn't eat.

First, the ramen had become more like a mushy soup and even a kid knew that he would not put it into his mouth.

Second, the highschool boy was thinking of a certain middle schooler, who had left for ten minutes.

"Shouldn't you go after her?"  
"Eh?"  
"You don't worry for her?"  
"I do!," Kamijou protested, he didn't aware of his voice as it sounded like a shout. Well... it was a shout.

"But... I," he clenched his fist.

"I don't know what happened. However, if it is about what was going on at Tokiwadai. I'm certainly sure that it was not alright. I know you figured it out that much."  
"Still, Kamijou-kun. Answer me. Why do you worry for her?"  
"?!"

"You must have a perfect view of the Railgun, third strongest level 5. Of course, she's not invincible, but she can probaly protect herself. Why would you show that much concern?"  
"Because she's my-" Kamijou stopped short, then confessed " Of course because she's my friend!"

That was actually an odd feeling.

Kamijou Touma was fully aware of her power, so if it is just another esper, she would be fine.

But he wished he could have erased that thought in his mind.

Kamijou Touma had seen Misaka Mikoto differently. Leading to an uncertain feeling everytime he thought about her.

He feared something bad could happen.

He feared she wouldn't be able to get over it this time.

It was not his problem, it was her. He had nothing to do with it.

He didn't even know what that was.

He didn't have right to interfere.

But thinking of the worst part caused his stomache growl.

Tabigake put on a serious glare as he placed the tea cup on the table.  
"Hm. So tell me Kamijou-kun. Once you get there, you see the battle is totally one-sided with my daughter being defeated and you are the only one can fight. Will you fight with her? Or will you push her aside in attemp to protect her?"

"...!"

"I-I…," Kamijou took back.

Misaka's father never asked, but he seemed to know more about Kamijou and MIkoto relationship than he looked.

But Kamijou was too shock because of the question. That made he not have enough time to think about that.

What was in his mind is the question that similar to the one he had once asked himself.

Would he seek for MIsaka Mikoto help if Gremlin invaded Academy city?

When the time had came, he did ask her to help him. But that 'lend me your strength' speech just told the first half of the story.

Kamijou left Mikoto with the giant dragon.

When he had to take Othinus to Denmark, He left Mikoto, Index and the others in Tokyo without telling them a single clue of what had happened.

And he left her back in Hawaii, even she had told him somethings that he would forever appreciate.

Kamijou Touma had never truly fought with MIsaka Mikoto on the same battle round.

"Ah! That's fast", Tabigake suddenly raised an almost cheerful voice as he opened his cellphone without Kamijou noticing.

"H-hai?"

"There is apparently an attack in Tokiwadai's dorm.

"What!?"

"There is a chance that the culprit is a male esper with electric power. He set up a fire somehow inside the dorm, activated the fire sprinkler system. The boy used his ability to broke in then locked the main door to prevent impact from the outside… And…"  
Tokiwadai is one of the most pestigous school in Academy City. Its students were all level 3 and up, no exception.

And what made the school proud was its level 5s. The highest level in this city of espers.

Railgun and Mental Out.

A level 3 or even 4 could be defeated by a group of level 0 if he or she was too full of theimself, or didn't know how to use strategies against big guys with water pipes or baseball bats.

But with a level 5, blinking an eye and they would be smashed.

Even if there was no 'monster' there, a building full of high level esper was more than enough to kick this terrorist to the main road. Not to mention he was only a level 3.  
"And?" Kamijou tried to keep cool.

"They are currently holding a hostages, a Tokiwadai student, on the third floor."  
Kamijou gulped.

The terrorists actually chose a very smart decision to someone would attack a dormitary of ojou-sama in the daylight.

"What's his motivation? Does Misaka have any to do with it?"  
Shirai Kuroko once had said to him, 'Onee-sama has a lot of enemies'

"They didn't look into that yet. But here said the culpit took effort to activate the fire sprinkler system instead of just jamming the security system and walk in. But once the water had fallen, everywhere, the floor, the wall. I don't know about you but I think this made an interesting combination between an esper and the surrounding environment."  
If electricity ran through the water, anyone stepping on it wihout any protection, depending on the voltage, would spend their next days in the hospital with multi burns.

If only they could survive.

First, second, third or even forth degree.

A very intelligent way to control people not listening to his orders.

And an effective way to prevent Misaka from using her electricity.

But that didn't make any sense.

Tokiwadai's dorm is large with floors. Even a level 4 couldn't use his power at wide range like that.

Which mean they could only 'take care' of one floor.

The students could jump out of the window too, Anti-skill with full equipment no doubt would break in and cuff their hands.

"Didn't he know if he bumped into a level 5, his name would be carved on his grave?!"

"Hm? There was a sign that they have used Level Upper to level up the power-"  
"Still, that's too reckless!"  
"You didn't let me finish Kamijou-kun. Here said he has used something called Capacity Down, a forbidden machine to restrain esper's power.

"…!"

Electricity controling is an useful yet dangerous power. If the owner used it in the wrong way, it would lead to a wrong consequences. Now there were two electromaster standing on the same floor which filled with water. The one who did the first attack would get other innocent people electrocuted.

Hostage, Capacity Down.

Misaka Mikoto's power was not that weak, but Kamijou knew she would never let anything happen to other people, especially when that person was in danger because of her.

She might not attack at all, as long as the others were safe.

"Damn it!"  
Kamijou silently cursed as he dashed to the main door, swung it open and ran away.

"You didn't answer my question, Kamijou-kun…"

Misaka Tabigake heaved a sighed as he oddly calm left the restaurant.

* * *

"Did she think of any plan?!", thought Kamijou. He was running at his full speed to Tokiwadai's dorm.

* * *

The moment he came near to the destination, all he saw was people standing blocking the view. They were watching something.

So he tried to get through the crowd.

He saw a boy around his age was being cuffed and surrounded by Anti-skill. So he ran to them.

"What happened?!"  
"Eh? Who are you kid?"  
"Please answer me!", he begged.

"Kamijou?" A voice spoke his name.

The spiky-hair boy noticed a Anti-skill officer, also a P.E teacher in his school. That's a woman with tied long black hair, Yomikawa Aiho.

"Yomikawa? You know him?"  
"Yeah. He's my student."

"Sensei! Please tell me what's going on?!"  
"If you are talking about the attack then it's over. The culprit over there…" she said in a surprise look as she used one thumb to point over the boy who had been captured, ''… has been defeated. Tch. Kids these days."

"By who?"  
"You know Railgun Misaka Mikoto right? She defeated him and still manage to save the others. Tch. Suddenly charge in like that without telling anyone! After that kidnapping things in the hospital, this girl sure gets into trouble a lot."

"Where's she?!"  
"I think the girl is still inside the front building. Five minutes maybe."  
"Is she hurt?"

"I saw some scratches and bruises on her legs and face. Her clothes was torn a little too. We told her to come with us for medical treatment, but that stubborn girl refused and said she had ability to take care of herself, even a twin-tail girl teleported from no where insisted. So we have to leave to do our jobs. I haven't seen her getting out, guess she didn't leave yet."  
" Thanks sensei!"

After saying,Kamijou quickly find the way to the third floor.

"Urgh. This stupid kid. Didn't he know he is not allowed to enter. And what's he has anything to do with that girl?"

After the attack, no one had right to enter the scene but the Anti-skill started to leave. Their job was done. All students who had stayed inside when the attack occured had gone to the other building. As the cleaning work was for Tokiwadai Middle school directors, briefly looking around and saw water everywhere, he supposed that work would take quite a long time.

The boy had once gone in this place yet he couldn't quite have the building's structure in his lack of imagination brain. It was too big.

And when he set his foot on the wooden stair which leaded to the third floor. Kamijou had the level 5 esper in his vision as she was leaning on the wall. Despite it was wet and cold.

"Misaka"  
Mikoto's shoulders jumped, but she didn't turn to his voice.

She knew that voice.

It was full of hesitation.

"You… okay?"  
That's by any means, a stupid question.

"... Kamijou-san? Yes. I'm okay. I'm sorry for leaving like that. But what are you doing here? Is Papa with you?"  
"He's after me" he quiet sure that Misaka-san wouldn't be that cold to his daughter. He would go for sure.

"I see."

"Who's that guy? How did you beat him?"  
" I guess he was the ex-boyfriend of Sadara-san. I figured it out much they broke up in Christmas because she had found another boy to date with. And it seems he was dumped by a Nagatenjouki student before. So he got crazy over it and set an attack to this place without thinking. But he didn't expect I can manipulate iron-sand in any weather. So I freed Sadara-san(the hostage) and took him down by a fist in the face real good." Said Mikoto as she hit her left palm by the right fist.  
"How come you are injured and wet?! The fire sprinklers couldn't have still been running until you came!", Kamijou tried not to get awe at the 'fist' part.

"T-This? Well… I was restrained by Capacity Down. So we had hand-to-hand combat. But most of it was him holding a knife and jump at me. I were not really concentrate so after I succeeded in setting free Sarada-san, who was being tied in a corner. I stumbled and he caught me some wounds. And I'm wet because… You know, I came too late and caused her a lot of fear. As a result, after I knocked that guy out by sending some electricity into my fist. She… as a Level 4 Hydrokinetic, gather some water on the floor and… you get the picture."

"Who's this Sarada girl?! How could she do that to her savior?!"  
"She was my old roommate, which means I would have shared the same room with her if Kuroko hadn't come in. I think she just panicked. Can't blame her."

Even as unintelligent as Kamijou could understand that Sarada girl hated Mikoto's guts. He had heard from a certain teleporter about the old roommate of Railgun of Tokiwadai too. Now he knew why Shirai Kuroko desperately had wanted to get into room 208 and would never change it even if she was dead. Misaka Mikoto was too kind. Perhaps she knew she was hated but chose different way of thinking to blame herself instead of putting it on those who were supposed to be at fault.

Kamijou looked from her head to toes, changing the subject.

"Why are you standing here? Why don't you change your clothes?"

"Just having some thoughts."  
"You can think about that later. YOu must be cold. Here. Take on my coat."

By the time he finished taking off his black coat, she had waved hands and shrugged.

"I'm really grateful. But you should keep it to yourself. My coat looks wet, but it's actually water-proof, so my body is still warm. It's not that cold."

"But your hair…" Kamijou protested, "… and your legs too."

Kamijou Touma felt his body was freezing. The snow had been falling non stop for the last two weeks. How the hell could she not be cold?!

Also, the fight she had told him sounded to go on quite smooth and easy for a Level 5 like her.

Her sleeves were torn, revealed her arms.  
Anywhere he could spot her skin, he detected scratches, bruises, even blood.

She looked like a mess. The fight was not easy at all. Mikoto had to tried her best to control her power. Or she would fry the whole dorm, which meant he landed on her many serious blow. Just look at her wounds!

Seeing Mikoto like that, he blamed himself for not showing up sooner. It's not like he didn't believe in her power. However if he had come in time, the result might have been different.

"Come on," he stepped up to where she was standing, using the arm held Imagine Breaker, Kamijou wriggled through the gap between her arm and body to reach her belly, and wrap it. So he would't touch her wounds, or at least those had been detected, "I will take you to the hospital." He gently told her. His action was fast. If it hadn't, Mikoto would have caught it.

The second after he offered, Mikoto forcefully broke from his hold and step back. The sound of her boots on the floor filled with water combined with the surprise because of her action made him, truth to be told, nervous.

"You really don't need to take me anywhere. I have first aid kit in my room and these small scratches wouldn't be that hard to aid." Mikoto stated proudly. "Now I need to talk to Dorm Mistress about where to stay this night. All rooms are wet you know." The hazel hair girl blinked playfully.

There was nothing to talk anymore, Mikoto stepped down, passing him and set her next destination to the main door..

She's cutting all connection she had built with him.

"Stop it. Misaka"  
"Hah?"

"I said stop it."  
"What're you trying to s-"

"Since when you started bowing?! Since when you started calling me Kamijou-san?! Since when you had that ojou-sama behavior?! Hah?!"

Shouted Kamijou as he swung back as if he was going to jump at Mikoto, who had eyes widely opened.

"H-Heh. What are you saying? I'm always like this. I think that you just didn't realize it back then Kamijou-san."

"If this because what happened between us then stop it Misaka!"  
"Why didn't you scold me?! Why didn't you shock me to death and blow my corpse by you railgun?! Why you didn't blame me?! Why did you this... to me? It would have been better. Don't you know that... Misaka?"  
"… Let me put this straight. I will not talk about this again. So please listen." Said Mikoto in a sign of defeat. "It has never been your fault and it will never be. I have made the dicision myself. I'm fine with the result no matter what it is. You saying this is like accusing me of acting like in some chessy shoujo manga. But I'm not. Then don't put the blame on yourself next time. Do you understand?"  
"If you hadn't tried to avoid me I wouldn't have been like this?!"

"What do you say?", Mikoto felt her face darkened.

"I know you're trying to avoid me and not knowing me at all!"  
Kamijou roared to his hurt content at the Tokiwadai girl standing in front of him.

"'Avoid me' you say?", Mikoto questioned calmly. "Heh." Then her teeth clenched tightly.

"Avoid you? Me? Careful with what you spit out! Can you look at me in the eyes and swear to god that you didn't avoid me at all?!"

"Í-"  
"You did! You think that I didn't saw you in the convenient store and how you hided behind that manga shelf!?"  
"That's-" Kamijou couldn't find anything phase to protest. So he pathetically dodged her gaze.

Seeing him like that, a magic made Mikoto realize her mistake, she tch'ed.

"I'm sorry. I could control my temper."  
"… Sorry for barking at you."

The boy and the girl didn't know what to say in attempt to continue this conversation without letting it going to far. After twenty second of silence, Mikoto, once again, was the one who left first.

This was the end.

"Misaka."Mikoto heard his call from behind, but she decided not to stop walking away.  
"Can we... come back to what we used to be?"

That coming from the highschool boy sounded really poor, as if he was desperate.

Mikoto's behavior had greatly changed. The way she acted, the way she spoke,... all of them sank Kamijou into a ocean of distance.

He thought, just thought, that she now just thought of him as a stranger.

Their connection was being faded away... He felt it. So he had to ask her, to know her answer, to know if they could still be friends.

His question reached her ears, luckily, since she stopped. But that's it. The answer she gave him was not spoken in normal speech. Kamijou saw her lips moving to say a few words, then suddenly she clenched her teeth in pain and stormed away. Kamijou had wished he could have heard it. But the instant he understand what her answer was, Kamijou wished he hadn't asked anything.

"What we used to be anyway?"

Because the answer was a knife stabbing into his heart.  
And he didn't saw her in his sight anymore.

* * *

Three days after Christmas. Kamijou Touma received a call from Misaka Mikoto. Her voice was full of hurry as she asked him to go to the park at 8p.m, in front of the vending machine they usually ran into each other. To make sure she didn't have to wait like thost previous time. He left the dormitory and reached the park at half past seven, despite being nervous to death.

He thought he was the first one came, but he was wrong.

From afar, he had seen a petit girl wearing Tokiwadai uniform leaning against the red machine.

This Railgun girl didn't detect Kamijou's appearance as she continued looking upon the sky.

What Kamijou saw in his eyes was only that girl.

* * *

"Shirai-san! Are you really okay?"

"What do you think Saten-san, UIharu? Do I look like having any choice"? Onee-sama didn't give me a chance to ask anything further. If she says it is then it is."  
"Comes to think about it. Where's Misaka-san?"  
"She's out with that barbarian."  
"Barba-you mean Kamijou-san?"  
"What? He isn't the only barbarian in the world?"  
"Not that SHirai-san! Why did Misaka meet up with him? And how comes you aren't against it?!"  
"Tch. But for Onee-sama, I would have sent him to hell now. Onee-sama is settling all the things with that ape. I know just that."  
"Settle… things… You mean…"  
"That-"  
"MISAKA-SAN WILL CONFESS?!"  
And the tea table was flipped.

* * *

Kamijou Touma stood there watching Misaka MIkoto so fascinating that he didn't know ten minutes had passed. "W-wah. I was carried away." He hurriedly walk to the other girl's direction.

"Misaka"  
"Oh. You're early. How come?"  
"I don't want to keep you waiting like before. Have you been here long?"  
"No," Mikoto shrugged. "I have just come"  
'(Lie)', Kamijou wanted to say that, still he tried his best to pretend being taken in after having a deep sigh. "Sorry for calling you at this hour. You're sure it doesn't bother you?" Mikoto showed her concern.

"Nope. I'm fine with it."

"Do you want to drink something? My treat."  
"Um... Coffee is fine with me." Kamijou told his order as Mikoto slipped some coins to the vending machine. "Then I'll take coffee too." The girl beamed, waiting to hear the sound of the cans falling down with excitement.

There was two things Kamijou was wondering.

First, Mikoto didn't kick the vending machine as usual.

Second, why did that machine only eat cash?!  
"Here. Hot coffe for you." Pointing the can at Kamijou, Mikoto uncanned hers by the other hand. "Thanks..." Kamijou took it and started drinking.

"So… Is there something Misaka wants to tell me?"  
The older boy asked while he secretly averted his eyes to the girl as they walked to a bench and took a seat. Coming to surprise, Ace of Tokiwadai laughed, which made Kamijou puzzled. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Nah forget it. I'm going to the main topic so we won't waste anymore time." Her tone changed to serious. "It's about us."  
It was... foreseen. Kamijou had predicted this before he stepped out of his room. It's just he didn't know how to deal with it.

"I'm sorry for what I had said the other day. I didn't think straight."

The last line she had said to him, even though she knew he could not hear it. But from the looks on his face, he had definitely found out what she had been saying. And Misaka Mikoto regretted it a lot.

"I did try to avoid you. What was I thinking? Why did I get all fire up with you while I'm the one supposed to be at fault." The level 5 stated. "But you know what? Even though things didn't work out, and we will have difficulties to face each other from now on. But I still want to be friends."  
"... Are you saying the truth?"  
"Do I look like not?"  
"Who knows. Since you're always dishonest." Kamijou laughed somehow humorlessly whilst staring at the can in his hands. His laugh soon died after a voice full of determination resounded.

Her eyes met his.

"I'm serious."  
"...!"

He lost.

* * *

"There was time, I wasn't sure about my feelings." She didn't say what feelings, but Kamijou could take it as _that_ feelings. "I don't remember how many times I had blindly chosen different methods to deny it. Neither did I know how I got those strange emotion. I guessed it came without me realizing it... I think, I knew I have these feelings was when I ran across your dying figure in a hospital grown..."  
Mikoto was talking about that night, the night she found out about Kamijou's amnesia. Unfortunately, Kamijou didn't really remember what had happened except for the part of his secret being exposed as he was on the verge of fainting at the spot.

He just asked her to burry his secret, that's all... to him.

But to Mikoto, it was a totally different situation.

"So don't ask why I got all fired up when it came to you. Haha." Laughing dryly, Mikoto sipped her coffee before the cold got into her.

No wonders why she had taken his hand and told him he was not alone that moment.

No wonders why she had said he wouldn't have to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders.

No wonders why she had beaten him until he understood the world he had chosen was wrong. And how she gave him courage to make his own decisions.

No wonders why she had always been angry and even sad because of him leaving her behind.

Kamijou had never told Mikoto the reason why, but if he had a chance, he would say he wouldn't want anyone, especially his friends, his closest ones to be hurted.

But after many times with many things she had told him, his action was a evidence showed how he just understood a half of her words.

"So do you have anymore questions? Mikoto-san is kinda on easygoing mode tonight. I won't promise I will answer it honestly next time."

"All right. Misaka?"  
"Hm?"  
"Were I to ask you... to stand beside me now, what would you say?", Kamijou questioned the brown hair girl slower than a seven-year-old kid reading a phrase from an elementary book. And Mikoto looked like she was deep in thought as she stared at the shoes.

"I would say no."

Kamijou felt his lungs stopped breathing for an instant.

"If I were the previous me, I would say yes. I might explosed too. Heh... But I guess things have been unlike before now."  
"I-I see. Hehe. Is that so? I expected this too haha,"

He did expected this answer from her, but a part of him still hoped otherwise, in contrast to this rejection.

So he laughed, but showed none of his true feelings.

Mikoto took a glimpse at him, her face softened as she was unawared of the fact that her hold on the can was tightened.

"Things change non stop, you know. Now, the future. Nothing can guarantee something will forever stay the same. And there are sometimes, we have no choice but following it."  
"What are you trying to say?"

"... Nothing. Just pointing it out."  
"I see..." It was Kamijou's turn to answer short.

"Since, you asked me questions and required honesty. Isn't it my turn?"

"E-eh? What?"  
"Nothing is free idiot!" Mikoto didn't notice the corner of his lips was eventually lit up a little.

"Do you think... my feelings toward you... is more than friends?"

"Heh?"  
"I'm thinking... Maybe, it isn't. I might have gotten confused between it and admiration. After many times you came and rescued me. It sounds alike right? Is there any chance that I just wanted to stay beside you so much that I thought I had that thing? Or maybe I just can tell the difference between them?"

"Misaka. That-"

"Sorry. I'm saying stupidly again. Forget what I said. I mean who would ask about that?"

Kamijou intended to open his mouth, but stopped, he stared at Railgun as she took the last sip of the coffee can and use magnetism to dump it to a trash can nearby.

"It's late. We should go home. Sorry for calling you just to have this boring talk."  
"Before that. Misaka! Can you hear me ask you again?"  
"... What's it?"  
"Where's your old cellphone? The Gekota one?"  
"Well. I changed it two days ago to a new model. Keeping up with the trend, no? So I just put it in the box of old stuffs. Oh and I still keep my numbers. "  
"What about the Gekota strap we had on September 30?"

"...I threw it away."  
"...W-what!?"  
"I accidently was given a new one by a friend of mine in Tokiwadai. Seeing that strap kinda old, so I threw it away."  
"I-I get it. H-having new one... i-is good. Haha. Since you like collecting those frog figures."  
Kamijou didn't know since when the strap had become so important to him. Putting a hand in his pocket to touch his cellphone or rather, the strap, he thought a piece of him, of their connection, was gone.

"I'm going home now. Bye, Misaka."

Rather than standing like an idiot, he decided to walk off before she could see his face.

One steps, he didn't hear her reply.

Two steps, he felt empty.

Three steps,

Four steps,

Five steps,

Nine steps, he was going further from her standing.

The tenth step, someone from behind grabbed his right hand and turn him back forcefully.

"Idiot! Why didn't you hear my goodbye first before storming away like that? Your parents didn't teach you how to treat gi-"  
Misaka Mikoto suddenly stopped.  
What made her was the moment she saw water falling down.

It was not from the sky.

Hesitantly, she looked up, and saw another one falling down.

That thing, the clearest thing showed when a person is weak, called tears, was streaming down on the boy's face.

Her heart was like frozen.

Was Kamijou Touma easy to cry like this?

Even if he was beaten to the point of death, he still stood up, clenched his fist, and fight.

Mikoto didn't know whether he had cried because of someone else before.

But now, in this moment, he was crying because of the words of a girl.

"You..."  
"W-what?" Kamijou didn't seem to realize his cheek was watered. Until Mikoto pulled him to an embrace, set his head on her chest. "Geez. You are so troublesome. Don't make me feel guilty!"

"!"  
"I was lying. I didn't throw that strap away. Like hell I would! I put it in the same box with my Gekota cellphone. So don't put that miserable look on your face. Make me sick at heart! Can't believe you ruined all my intention!"  
Wrapping him closer and tighter, Mikoto murmured to his ear, "That's why, don't cry"  
She could tell his body twitched, must have known what she was referring. Feeling his hands grabbing her blazer, Mikoto wouldn't let go.

"Why did you say that?!"  
"Just keep silent. You will get what you want later. Now stay still or I will take a photo of your pathetic face and post it on the city's website." Mikoto accidently came back to her old tsundere tone as she embraced him.

"But at least you get to know how I feel when I saw your strap under the sand of the Atlantic ocean"

Kamijou, on the other hand, his emptiness was filled, by her words, by her warmth. He wanted no more.

The two of them had been staying in that position for while before he freed himself from her arms. Taking no more embarrassment, he pouted, "I will ask that later, Misaka. Now I'm going for real"  
"Wait"  
The next thing he knew, his collar was grabbed.

The next thing he knew, he was pulled down for at least five centimeters.

The next thing he saw, were the eyes of a certain Tokiwadai girl.

Kamijou felt her breathe against his skin, oddly steady, while his was not. His fingers flinched, his eyes opened widely.

Their noses were pressed on each other.

His face touched hers as the lips were few mere mili millimeters away.

People said sometimes there were things didn't always turn out as we thought it would be.

Mikoto looked at him in the eyes, however not for long. She released him and fixed his collar. "There were something on you face. That's why I wanted to see it close. Sorry for ruining you clothes."  
"... Did you find that thing on my face?"  
"No. And I wish I hadn't seen it."

In the end, they parted. Before Kamijou turned round to head to his dorm, he had heard her saying.

"I think I know the answer!"

* * *

Kamijou Touma was sitting on the floor inside his room, and do nothing. Index was going out with Komoe-sensei, so he would be alone for at least 12 hours. Hit his face on the table, the memories of the previous night appeared in his head. Using his right hand to touch his chest, right above his heart, he could feel it beating as fast as yesterday, the moment she pulled him down and their face touched.

It mustn't have been a kiss.

A kiss on the lips, not on the forehead or the cheek. But Mikoto had said she spot something on his face.

It mustn't have been a kiss.

Had it?

Kamijou rapidly made a mess on his spiky-hair, and grab the remote control to turn on the TV. He seriously hoped he would meet a comedy serie, but for his bad luck, "An Irion Bridge is a Sign of Love", which movie had a girl named Beverly Seethrough or something like that as the director. Of course, Kamijou didn't bother too much to know about the title. But soon after that he seemed to find out something as his face was red like a potato, so the boy didn't waste any second to randomly change the channel. Until he met a weather report session. He needed to know how was the weather going on, as a result Kamijou turned on the volume. In the screen was a woman holding a micro. Where she was standing looked a lot like Academy City airport in district 23.

"-as you can see due to heavy falling snow, all the flights had been delayed for the last two hours. There are many passengers are waiting-"  
As the camera started zooming at where the reporter's hand was pointing, Kamjiou didn't express any interest. He didn't have any plan to fly anytime soon. So except for the weather, it had nothing to do with him.

"Hm?"  
Then he saw a fimiliar girl right at the corner of the screen. She had short brown hair, a proper face and wore white coat with purple duffle.

It was Misaka Mikoto.

She was sitting on an airport chair, and there was a suitcase under her legs.

"Wai-what?!"  
What was Misaka Mikoto doing there?!

"Don't tell me..."  
Kamijou Touma quickly grabbed his uniform coat and ran to the airport as if he was running for his life. Mikoto had said she still kept her numbers, searching for her contact, he called.

But he was given no picking up.

Kamijou tried, tried and tried. He called her countless time, but she didn't answer.

The boy just kept putting his cellphone to his ear and run.

"Damn it!" the spiky hair boy hissed. "What are you doing Misaka?!"

After runnning for a long distance, his two legs felt sore and heavy. Nevertheless, he didn't care at all. Kamijou just ran and ran. His purpose now was to get there and interogate Misaka Mikoto, and make her stay if necessary . There was no way he would let her get away without talking to him first.

* * *

Kamijou Touma had gone through the main entrance of the airport, at last. Now what he had to do was how to find Misaka Mikoto in these hundreds of people walking from all directions. Chrismast gave students in this city a perfect chance to go home.

He hit the call button again, and the result is still the same, no answer.

Being left with no choice, Kamjiou started running randomly, with a hope to find the girl. But fate never had been so nice to him. As an airport of Academy City, which was ran with technology, this place was huge, than any other places in the world.

How long would it take him to run around this place? Not to mention how would he find the girl?

Kamijou begged for his luck.

When he saw her on TV, she was sitting on the airport chair, so she must be there, hopefully. What if her filght, which had been delayed, taken off already?

Tossing the thought of the worst possibilities out of his head, Kamijou kept running while repeatedly using his cellphone to call her. He didn't care how many time he had called her, he just hoped she would pick up as he glanced at the frog strap attached to his cell phone expectantly.

"Misaka...!"

"Huff huff... where is she?!"  
Right before his eyes was multiple rows of airport chair, in the right was a large window which you could through it to see the outside, which he saw landing airplanes arrived and snow falling all over the place.

Running along the rows, he looked back and forth.

Even though Kamijou was tired and exhausted after a long run, his skin was burning, his heart was racing like crazy, but his eyes were still doing quite well, and from what he had seen...

Kamijou didn't saw Mikoto on any airport seating.

"Damn it!"  
Realizing cursing wouldn't do, the boy found his way to the airport security. Before that, he looked at the big screen on the wall. All the flight status were changed to 'on time', as the main problem was not having known what flight would Mikoto take, England? America? Spain? Russia? And what time?, Kamijou broke sweat heavily.

And for an instant, just an instant...

One side was the boy panting, having the look of disbelief.

The other side was a girl, holding the handle of the suitcase, looking at him back with those eyes, with a little surprise and a little hurt.

Kamijou Touma had found Misaka Mikoto, who was now going through the security.

She seemed to have done all procedural and security requirements.

Kamijou couldn't explain, but he couldn't move while he was fully aware that at any rate, she would be pulled back by him if he started reaching her now. Later, he would save the picture of him standing like an idiot in his brain.

Unconsciously hitting the call button, again after nearly hundred times, she picked up his call.

"It's me," he said.  
"Yeah. I can see you from here", she whispered.

"Where are you going?"  
"I'm leaving Academy City for a while, to the Europe..."  
"I can see that. I suppose you father is going with you?"  
"He's gone inside"  
"Is that so..."  
"So you must have been running?"  
"Like I was being chased by a ghost."

"Hehe. You do look pale."  
"Wasn't it because of you?"

"..."

"Why do you leave Academy City?"  
"It's been a long time since I last came home. I wanted to take advantages to go to the outside world and visit my family. And papa... he wanted me to leave for a while. This city is not safe anymore you know. After the attack of the GREMLIN last month, he told me to wait for things to cool down. Mama didn't seem to disapprove either."  
She answered through the cell phone and looked at him without any changes in facial expression.

"Did you make up your mind because of me? Misuzu-san told me how you insisted on staying back in Daihaseisai. "

"I'm sorry." Kamijou lowered his head in shame.  
"I just... need some time."  
Misaka Mikoto didn't say 'No. It has nothing to do with us.' And started telling bad jokes on how Kamijou had praised himself as high as the Fuji moutain.

Of course, her parents wanted their daughter to stay out of this place for a while. But if Mikoto insisted, they couldn't to anything but watching her. Back in Dahaseisai, Mikoto was convinced a lot by her mother though she opposed to it, then suddenly Misuzu changed her mind, and let Mikoto do what she wanted.

This time, without no less than two sentences of convincing, her father had heard his daughter said 'I will think about it.'

A part of Misaka Mikoto desperately wanted to stay out, to leave this place, not to face and think about him.

"I just need some time," she repeated, "I don't think I'm myself anymore..."  
"You should be more honest like this Misaka."

"I'm doing it just for you. Not to everyone I'm like this."  
"So I'm special?"

"What do you think?"

They laughed, somehow a voice said to him that one part had become normal.

"When will you be back?"  
"Probably around the middle of January or so, most school's vacation ended at that time."  
"Call me when you come back." He reminded.

"I think my flight is near. So-"  
"Wait! Let me finish!"

Kamijou cleared his throat then asked, "The moment you pull me... uhm... down last night..." he looked at her as his hand tightened on his cellphone, "... was that... you wanted to kiss me?"  
Mikoto's eyebrows lit up for a mili second when he finished. Her mouth opened and reply,

'(Are you really you?)'

"Were I to say yes, what would you do?"

And she was met with Kamijou's burning cheeks. His head must be spinning like a top.

"I-I-"

"It's time. I'm not going to miss this flight. So goodbye." Railgun cut him out while he was still stammering.

"Goodbye."  
Mikoto smiled slightly as she hanged up phone call. It seemed Kamijou and Mikoto's business had been done.

She slipped her new cellphone inside her pocket.

She turned her back at him.

She was leaving Academy City and him behind.

Kamijou's shout reached Mikoto's ears as her movement stopped.

"I forget to say. But your cookies need practicing Biribiri!"

The sound of laughter from the outsiders got into her ears and soon faded away, leaving no traces. Turning back, she saw him placed his cellphone in his left hand, and held his right hand in front of his face so she could see the little thing sparkling under the white light.

It was the ring she had put inside the homemade cookies paper bag which she gave him on December 24th.

She had intentionally baked the cookies for long and made it hard to eat if one didn't want to say 'bad.'

And she even placed that ring in the bottom of that bag.

She had thought he wouldn't eat them. But it turned out...

Turning back and felt a hot liquid running down on her cheek, Mikoto took out her cellphone once more and send him a call.

"Wha-"  
"Misaka Mikoto!"  
"Hai?"  
"It's Misaka Mikoto. Get it through your thick skull already!... Idiot!"  
What the boy received after that was a bluish-white spark from his cellphone and a feeling like being stung by a bee on his ear and hand, caused the level 0 to jump and pull himself far from the device.

Mikoto must have sent electricity through the phone line. To a level 5 Electromaster, it was simple like a piece of cake.

Kamijou put the cell phone to his ear again and saw it was still on, the call hadn't ended yet.

"See you soon... Mikoto."

From behind, Kamijou saw Mikoto turning off her cellphone, doing an action which looked like wiping her cheek by her right wrist, and stepping away from his sight.

His cellphone-holding arm dropped by the sides as he smiled at the same direction she had gone to.

"Such misfortune..."

**_The end?_**

* * *

**Okay. As the new chapter is up, this is my Christmas gift :) I don't know about your timezone. But here is NOT midnight yet but I have to go to bed so tomorrow I can get up early XD. (of course I heard that people in the west celebrate Christmas right when night goes down, but in my country Christmas is the from the night of Dec 24th till the morning of Dec 25th. it is hard to explain so just left this topic aside XD) **

**Now, to the main topic, this chapter, which I didn't have many time to think straight.**

**I know, some of you will find this chapter is blurry. THere are a few things I intentionally didn't give probably explanations. BUT, I MIGHT do that in the future.**

**I apologized if this chapter is way too short comparing to what has happened in it.**

**When I wrote this chapter, I have thought of many different ways to end this chapter. And this ending is one of them. It was actually closer to a happy ending than what I had had in my after I finished the first chapter. But if I had to choose between a sad-ended and an open-ended story and I am the writer, I often choose the second choice. Which you can see.**

**Okay, time for some question. If you are thinking: MIkoto is so uncertain of her feelings even after she has confessed. ANd her actions are like she was secretly trying to get him to think about her, which is not. I wont say clearly, but love is a complicated thing and so is human's emotion. Were I to write the next chapter, I would likely focus on this.**

**Touma is so OOC in the vending machine part: Yes. I thought so too. I had thought not to put this into this chapter, but I wanted something kinda romantic a little and *cough* make him *cough* suffer. So yeah XD. ANd the pull-collar part was not in the script until DEc 22nd XD**

**Tabigake has too little screen time: I mostly focused on Touma and Mikoto, so other sided Characters were most likely to support the story. And how they affect the main character. But as a father, Tabigake will definitely talk to Mikoto if there is next chapter. And Im sorry I didn't put Kuroko, Saten and Uiharu with Mikoto or so on. But I think I would put some.**

**I'm sorry if the Tokiwadai attack has any plot holes. Like I said I had set up this chapter differently than what I had had in mind. So the details were changed quite a lot, like the one which Mikoto was the one the attacker wanted.**

**Oh and since MIkoto has never talked to her father before, and from how I saw their personalities, I think Tabigake will call ''Mikoto'' instead of ''Mikoto-chan'' like Misuzu.**

**This chapter was divided to 2 but I decided to merge them into one as I wanted to keep this as a two-shot XD. Any side story or whatsoever will be later!**

**Any feedback will be appreciated. I know there are something off in this chapter especially the first part, so any reviews will be a great help. And if you find any mistakes in spelling, then FF is currently hiding the spelling check feature somewhere, and about grammar, I'm still doing to improve it!**

**There are a lot of things more i want to tell you but Im gonna rest first. See you soon XD**

**HAPPY CHRISTMAS!**


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